


Walk in the Shadow of Man

by jinxedragon



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Modern Character in Thedas, Multi, Original Character(s), more tags to be added later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-21 12:44:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13741146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinxedragon/pseuds/jinxedragon
Summary: Nikioli was on the run from his family and what should have been a simple bus ride has turned into something he's not quite sure how to handle. With no clue where he is and no survival skills, things aren't looking too great.*****Logan Adar had a simple job, keep the peace at the enclave, now that that's gone to shit he's got to find a way to prove not only his innocence but that of his 'accomplice' as well.





	1. Chapter 1

   It was nighttime when the bus finally pulled into the lonely station. I and two other people had been waiting with varying degrees of patience. A punked out girl, who was dressed head to toe in black, looked up from her phone her dark eyes reflecting the lights of the bus. She looked like she belonged more in a city setting rather than Nowhere, USA; and compared to me and the other guy we looked plain in comparison. It almost felt like she owned the area and it was us who didn’t fit it.

  She had been waiting impatiently for the bus, humming to a tune only she could her from her headphones.  The other guy hadn’t even bothered to look at the clock for the two hours we had sat waiting; standing up minutes before the bus arrived. He looked plain, short spiked dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes. His clothes just a regular blue t-shirt that was covered with a black jacket and he wore grey jeans. He screamed ‘regular’ especially compared to punk girl, and I guess even compared to me.

  I quickly scooped up my bag and followed behind them catching a glimpse of my own clothes; a dark blue jacket with a rainbow and ace flag patch, a shirt with the lyrics, “The dark side of the moon,” with a rainbow being formed through a triangle and I wore a pair of sweats instead of jeans.  I tried to look at my face real quick but I’ve always had a hard time with reflections especially looking myself in the eyes.

  I personally had been waiting just as impatiently as and maybe even a bit more nervously than the punk girl. I was considered a runaway; I was 24 and considered a fucking run away. I don’t know why it was like that, maybe something to do with one of my diagnosis, but ultimately the court deemed it necessary that I had no control over my life.  This left me in the care of a homophobic and ignorant Uncle and a poorly treated Aunt. I loved my Aunt but the abuse we received from my Uncle was too much for me to handle.

  I twisted the tangle in my hand, 1, 2, 3; letting the rougher parts of it scrape across my fingers and bringing me back to reality. We moved sleepily towards the bus, punk girl arriving first letting her backpack swing behind her to reveal a toonish unicorn flying under a rainbow. I bit back a smile, as she shot a quick look behind her dark eyes meeting mine and with a wink she disappeared into the depths of the bus humming her song.

  Normal guy looked more like a zombie as he tiredly ignored us and sleepily got on the bus, quickly paying his fee then moving towards the middle of the bus where he flopped down and rested his head against the glass. As I got on I glanced to see punk girl claiming the back seat as hers.

  I payed the fee,  glancing at the bus driver; she was a bit heavy and had a pretty smile, curly red hair framed her face and freckles dotted her nose.

  I quietly thank her than begin my count; 1,2,3 and I take my seat. I don’t know why it has to be three, it’s always been three. I don’t remember why or how it started but three had become my safety net; the number that pulled me back down into reality when it got too hard to focus.

  The bus driver closed the doors and with a loud creak they shut. I grabbed my headphones and rammed them into my ears hoping to make the sound stop, blasting the volume of my music. We pulled out of the station and began on our way out of Nowhere, USA.

 I sat staring out at the trees counting as many as I could in threes; 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3. Listening to the music that filled my head and feeling the bus as it moved down the road at a steady pace.

_“I am flesh and I am bone_

_Rise up, ting ting, like glitter and gold”_

The trees are passing in a blur; fear begins to creep its way into me.

_“I’ve got fire in my soul_

_Rise up, ting ting, like glitter_

_Like glitter”_

_Somethings wrong_ , a foreign thought creeps into my mind becoming a chant, _somethings wrong, somethings wrong_.

  My mind begins to panic, my anxiety spiking as the lights of the bus flicker off.  I quickly turn my head toward the bus driver, through the dark I can barely make her out and she turns. A light suddenly illuminates her face and it’s a look of terror that we all see.

  _“Do you walk in the shadow of men”_

  *******

  Logan Adar was not an especially happy person right now, especially considering his hand felt like it was on fire, he had a massive headache forming and of course let’s not forget the part where he’s been bound to the floor in chains, on his knees for maker knows how long. Guards towered over his kneeling form, refusing to speak or explain anything. He also had a feeling this had nothing to do with his drunken escapade with one of the Templars and if it turns out his feeling was wrong he’d make sure to lay off the alcohol. For a little while at least.

  He shook his head, trying to clear it, as two gorgeous women entered the chamber he was being held in.  _I guess it’s more of a dungeon rather than chamber_ , he thought, _which begs the question why there a dungeon at the fucking enclave?_

The red haired hooded women held back, allowing the dark short haired one to advance on him.  She said some words, he responded with a couple grunts because he was far more focused on the gorgeous woman interrogating him. _Damn where do the chantry find you people_.

  “Are you… Are you even listening?!” She looked offended like he had kicked her puppy or something. He rolled his eyes and glanced about the room instead of responding. On his left was a locked cell. Curious he studied the figure that lie within it, or at least he tried to before a loud slap and a sudden sting stole back his attention.

  “What the fuck!” he cried indignantly trying to caress the spot on his face where he’d been slapped, forgetting his hands were bound to the floor.

  “Do you even realize how much shit you are in right now,”  it was more of a statement than a question. He answered it anyway.

  “Not as much as that person is considering their freezing to death,” even with the brief glimpse he could see the figures nonstop shakes, Maker he could even feel the cold air sapping the persons warmth away. Upside to being a mage who had mastered the elements was being able to tell shit like this.

  Her furiosity turned to shock as she quickly turned to the figure’s cell. “Why has his accomplice been let like this!” she demanded of the nearest guard.

  _Accomplice?_ Fuck did he do something that got one of his mercs caught in this mess too. As the woman yelled and berated the guards, Logan peered closer at the figure, defiantly not Vashoth. So it wasn’t one of the mercs he brought with him. Noreen had been adamant that he only come with Vashoth, of course that pissed of the resident elves, humans and dwarves in our band of misfits but we needed big intimidation when it came to keeping the peace.

  Mages were terrified because all they could think was Qunari when they saw us and well I guess that’s how most people react honestly.

  Maybe the figure was the pretty dark skinned Templar, Caston that had courted him the night before. Unfortunately it had gone nowhere despite the promise of fun. Logan had a job to do and had to deny the handsome man, though he did leave with a promise to look for him after the conclave was over.  In the torchlight it was really hard to tell for sure but with the bits and pieces he was getting from the woman shouting at the guards he honestly doubted it was him.

  Suddenly she was standing before him again, this time she knelled unlocking his shackles and bounding his hands together with rope.

  “There’s something you need to see,” she gruffly gabs his arm pulling him up to full height. The guards step back and even the hooded woman eyes him with caution as she leaves. The short dark hared woman, though, she’s not even fazed by his sudden towering appearance.

  “If it’s better than the inside of a cell, than why not,” he shrugged his shoulders and willingly followed the very annoyed woman.


	2. Chapter 2

    Logan Adar was without a doubt having a bad day overall. It started with him in chains, somewhere in the middle he was being accused of blowing up the conclave and ripping a hole in the sky, and now there were demons.

  _Oh Logan this will be a great chance for you to meet other mages!_ A mocking voice filled his head as he proceeded to bash in a rage demons head with the makeshift staff he’d found.

  _What a fucking joke,_ not only did he not get to talk to any of the mages specializing in healing but now he had to deal with demons and an angry seeker who would probably rather cut his hand off and take her chances just using the severed hand.

  Did he mention that he hated demons? Because he really does hate the little bastards and their fucking deals. It wasn’t that he’d taken a deal but the offer of learning blood magic was a temptation that was growing. He couldn’t find a normal mage that could help him but maybe blood magic would be the key. It could hopefully find the illness in the blood, maybe even neutralize or remove it when all other magic had failed.

  He shakes his head, _Don’t think that shit around a seeker_. It wasn’t like Cassandra could read minds but it’d be better to be safe than sorry.

  Logan moves quickly to catch up with Cassandra as she marches off to the next battle. As they walk they passed a couple soldiers; one shivering as the other tries to stop the bleeding from their wound. Logan’s mind wanders back to the figure in the cell.

  Magically they had felt…odd. Almost like a dwarf but clearly not that small or stocky. _Could they be the one responsible for all this shit?_ It was a possibility, they had found the figure near him or at least that’s what Cassandra had said. Honestly Logan was more leaning towards innocence in the case of the stranger. He wasn’t sure why he felt that way maybe solidarity in being accused of shit you didn’t do. Overall it was more of a gut feeling than anything.

 “Logan!” he looks up in time to see Cassandra throw a knife past his head, hitting its target with a sickening crunch.  “Focus,” she states calmly as she walks past him pulling the knife out of the demons skull a spurt of goo covering her breastplate. She grunts in annoyance kicking the demon away from her and turning to stride off.

  “You know if I didn’t know better I’d think you have anger issues,” a cheeky reply that earns him a deadly glare, which while intimidating, loses an edge when you’re looking down on someone much shorter.

   His day though was starting to look up, as he introduced himself to the incredibly handsome dwarf. Varric was not like any dwarf he’d ever meet or seen; and honestly that made Logan like him even more. He especially liked the open chested shirt that showed of a fine array of pecks and hair. Even though he did wonder how the dwarf’s nipples weren’t freezing off, because Logan was Qunari and even his hot blooded-self felt the effects of the cold.

  The bald elf, Solas, wasn’t bad looking either but he gave off more of a… well a, I want to experiment on you vibe.  Logan decided it was best that maybe they steer clear of each other for now.

  Together they fought through, the hordes of demons making their way slowly towards the forward camp.

  “So did you do it?” Varric asks as they begin to climb some stairs.

  “Oh yeah, I defiantly blew up the conclave and purposely made it so my hand was bound to the fade tares. I even have an accomplice!” Logan replied cheerfully, with barely concealed irritation.  He liked Varric but his hand ached and his head was pounding, he was in no mood for the accusations that were constantly being thrown at him.

  “Accomplice?” Varric threw a look towards the seeker who chose to ignore it.

  “Yeah, apparently I wasn’t the only one they found alive up there,” he shrugged his shoulders feeling Solas’s eyes fall on him as he mumbled, “ but it sure seemed like I was the only one that mattered.”

 His foul mood had fully returned as their group approached Leliana and the man she was Loudly arguing with.

  “You want me to make the decision?” he felt his anger start to burn. It wasn’t the choice that pissed him off, it was the fact that these people were so fucking sloppy they were letting their prisoner, Their Prisoner, run around making life or death choices for them. Who the fuck thinks it’s a good idea to let the guy, who you think blew up the fucking conclave, just run around doing as he pleases?

  “Fine,” he bites out, “We take this head on and fucking finish it,” no more screwing around with demons, it was time to end this.

******

_It’s cold…._

  Too cold to be home, too cold to be in Nowhere; why was it so cold?

 I shivered pulling up a itchy blanket, only to toss it away. It felt wrong; it was too much of a texture I didn’t like. Scritchy, scratchy.

I close my eyes tighter bringing my hands over my ears, make the sound stop; scritchy, scratchy.

Breathe slowly, in and out, 1,2,3

3,2,1; breath in and out, slowly breathe

  I squeeze my eyes shut tighter for a second then open them to a dimly lit cell. My eyelids feel heavy and as I shiver I feel the urge to close them again.

  Hypothermia; Fuck I need to get up.

I push myself up and away from the blanket; I try to stand to find my legs not working. Plan B then. I start rocking, covering my ears with my hands slowly rocking back and forth trying to get my blood running.

  My stim also was working to help calm me as panic flooded my system with the realization that this was not the bus or home. Slowly feeling started to come back, not nearly enough to stand yet though.  I peer up looking around the dimly lit cell…dungeon?

  I didn’t think dungeons existed anymore, I mean I guess?  I’d never really thought about it until now. Do prisons look like this? I don’t think they do and why would I be in prison? I remember… I remember the bus and goth girl, normal guy, and the bus lady but I don’t remember leaving the bus.

  Terror, I remember feeling terror and darkness.

The torches flickered dully almost fading away as a gust of wind blew down the hall. I take my hands from my ears and move them protectively around my legs placing my head into my knees.

 No, no more darkness, please no more darkness.

  Footsteps pound down the hall, I look up shaken out of my thoughts to see a a very, very tall man holding a light and approaching my cell. The light illuminated him revealing two horns sticking out from his head, the left was clearly sawed off and the other jagged as if it’d be broken by something much stronger and bigger than the man approaching me.

  Did I die? Am I in hell? Wait I don’t believe in hell… does this work the same if you don’t believe in hell?

  Vibrant green eyes meet my dull brown ones, a handsome face with dark grey skin and loosely tied long black hair falls in front of his eyes.  He blows the strands out of his face before he smiles at me radiantly. All in all, I’m defiantly star struck by my first impression of supposed hell.

  “Hey there,” his voice is deep and reverberates like a cat’s purr…

  “Oh, fuck! Oh, no, no, no,no… I forgot Dimples!” I grab my head again and start rocking again. I hadn’t even thought about poor Dimples when I ran away,  I was to angry and to hurt to really think. What was going to happen to my poor kitty? He hated my uncle and was terrified of everyone but me and my aunt. Maybe my aunt will love and take care of him? Why didn’t I think this through!?

  “Dim…ples?” the horned man, person? Looked at me like I’d grown a second head or something.

  “Yes Dimples,” why couldn’t he understand this? “My poor cat… I forgot him and now I can’t get him and what if he gets scared? Uncle will be mean to him and Auntie will have to give him away and what if she gives him to a bad family or what if… WHAT IF THEY PUT HIM DOWN,” I burst into tears, I need my kitty, I didn’t mean to leave him. I need to go back and get him!

 I rock faster 1,2,3,1,2,3; it’s not working, it’s not working I need my kitty. Fuck I shouldn’t have left, fucking fuck.

 The gate makes a loud creaking noise which only makes everything worse, now my ears hurt and my skin is crawling and everything is TOO FUCKING MUCH.

  “Shhh,” the horned man is in front of me now, the light glowing softly, a light warmness coming off of it. It’s so warm compared to the cold empty cell and cold, hard floor.  I focus my eyes and stare at the vibrant green again, a forest of green that feels so much warmer than the light. A soft feeling of calm worms its way into me.

  I feel safe, I feel calm.

  “Better?”  He asks his gravelly voice reverberates through my chest. I nod my head in response and relax; my rocking stops and slowly my legs lower into a crisscross applesauce position my hands lying numb in my lap.

  “Am I in Hell?” I had to ask, it felt like an obligation of any character lost in a new setting.

  He lets out a chuckle, “I have no fucking clue what that is.”

  “Oh… that’s good I suppose,” at least that’s one complication of my shoulders, “Also why do you have horns?”

  He looks at me strangely again, “Never seen a Qunari or Vashoth before?” The words feel funny, like I’m supposed to know them but I don’t.

  “What’s that?” The words feel too weird to say. He tilts his head and the odd looks continue. I don’t really like or appreciate the looks.

  “You know the big horned people,” he laughs pointing to his own horns. I stare at him blankly, there’s people running around with horns on their heads?

  He seems to study me for a bit before clapping his hands together, “Bet you’re having some memory issues as well,” he stands and holds his hand out to me, “We should probably get you into something warmer.”


	3. Chapter 3

  Logan stood over the boy? Man? It was actually really hard to tell. Through the mess of short brown hair, Logan could make out tanned skin and warm brown eyes and a light dusting of scruff on his chin and cheeks. His immediate thoughts went to the people of Antiva, the accent didn’t match but that didn’t mean the kid didn’t have family from there. Actually when he thought about it the kid’s accent didn’t really match anything he’d heard before.

  Not to mention the kid’s style, it was… interesting? He got a better look at it as the kid grabbed his hand standing to full height. He was a tall for a human and a lanky one as well; skinnier then most Logan had ever meet. If Logan didn’t know better he’d say the kid was a tall elf but the lack of pointed ears dissuaded that thought.

  The kid brushed himself off, dusting lose straw and dirt of his odd clothes. Looking up the kid’s warm brown eyes, with hints of honey, meet unusual green eyes for only a second before focusing on Logan’s nose.  “Niki, or Nikoli,” he thinks then shrugs, “Either or.”

  “What?” Logan’s face scrunches in confusion as the kid let’s out a small laugh.

  “My name,” Nikoli’s voice hums, a voice that’s not too deep nor too high, it fits perfectly.

  Logan grins in response, “Alright Niki, I’m Logan Adar; you can call me either or,” he winks and Nikoli snorts in response.

  “Okay either or,” Nikoli breaks into a smile trying to suppress it by biting his lip.

  If that wasn’t the cutest shit ever, Logan would down some of the terrible alcohol they serve in this shit hole. “Alright smart-ass come on,” Logan held the door expectantly as Nikoli slowly leaves the cell, carefully watching his steps as he looked around the dungeon. Curiosity and wonder flitted across Nikoli’s face, as he eyes the dungeon in the dim torchlight.

  Carefully Logan shuts the cell as softly as possible, he was good on picking up peoples ticks and it seemed Nikoli was not a fan of creaking doors. Logan moves away from the cell beckoning for Nikoli to follow and they move quickly out of the dungeon and into the chantry above. Logan carefully dodging the lantern he had hit his head on, when he first came down here.

  Of course though, this was not going to go smoothly at all.

  “What do you think you’re doing Herald?” Cassandra’s standing in front of them, a mix of anger and surprise crosses her face before she’s back to her stoic self. Nikoli stiffens and takes a step back almost hiding behind Logan.   

  Logan rolls his eyes in response, “Making sure my ‘accomplice’ here gets proper treatment.”

  She sighs pinching the bridge of her nose, “Herald you have been cleared but this boy”

  “Man,” Nikoli speaks up, “I’m 24; I’m not a child.” He looked like he was torn between anger, over being called a boy, and absolute dread, as he corrected her.

_Only a few years younger than me_ , Logan was a bit surprised, he would have personally put his bet at 18 and by the look Cassandra was giving Nikoli she’d probably guessed about the same.

  “This… Man has not been proven innocent yet,” Cassandra corrected herself with a quick glance at Nikoli before returning her stern stare towards Logan.

  Logan wanted to roll his eyes, and make an inappropriate comment but he held his tongue. He wasn’t sure why he felt Nikoli had nothing to do with the conclave, maybe it was his odd clothing and lack of knowledge, in the end though all he could give was his word.

  “Well I vouch for his innocence,” Logan placed a gentle hand on Nikoli’s shoulder feeling it stiffen than relax, “Besides I think Niki here is about as lost as I am; maybe even more so.” He tried to convey his best ‘I know what I’m doing’ look to Cassandra and she finally seemed to catch the hint.

  She sighed in exasperation, “Fine.”

  “Also we need to get our belongings back and something warmer for Niki here,” Logan smiled appreciatively at her; he’d rather not be on her bad side.

  “Ugh, across the hall in the first room to your right. There should be some spare clothes in there as well,” waving the off dismissively she moved to leave the chantry. As she opened the door a swirl of snow fell through the opening.

  “It’s snowing…” Nikoli looked at the door as it swung shut. He was shivering again but Logan couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or the sudden look of fear across his face.

  “We are in the Frostbacks, what did you expect?”

“No… we’re in Nowhere, USA and we’re having the hottest summer ever recorded…” Nikoli’s mumbling now staring at the door. Logan couldn’t comprehend what Nikoli was saying. Nowhere USA? Where the fuck was that?

  “Right…. Um let’s just get our stuff and get you into something warm for now,” a creeping feeling started to fill Logan’s head. _What if Nikoli’s completely nuts?_ It wasn’t like he hadn’t met and befriended a bunch of crazy people, he had but a lot of the time those friends always ended up dead. Either by their own hand or by people claiming that demons had infected them. 

   He quickly steered Nikoli across the hall and towards the room Cassandra had mentioned. Opening the door revealed a makeshift storage room, a deep blue bag stood out amongst the dull tan and grey items that littered the room. Nikoli immediately headed for it pulling out a strange colorful object.  He twirled it several times in his hand before wrapping the object around his finger; absentmindedly stroking it with his thumb.

  Satisfied Nikoli had found his things Logan began the search for his own belongings, _if they even survived the explosion._ It only took a second before he found his tan bag, an insignia of horns engraved on it. From it Logan quickly pulled a small stone pendant. It looked worthless, a shiny little rock tied to a piece of string but to Logan it was everything.

  He felt a twinge of guilt and sadness as he held the stone in his hand, he’d have to write a letter to his daughter. Make sure she knew he was alive and well and still looking for a treatment. This whole ordeal had been about meeting the other mages; to hopefully learn some healing abilities that might help. Now, though he was stuck here with no money and no way to safely return to her or have her retrieved. He sighed tying the stone necklace around his neck.

_“Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone,”_ Logan turned quickly as a strange voice filled the room. Niki held still looking down at a glowing blue thin box in his hand as the sound came out of it.

  “What is that?”

“My phone…” Nikoli looked up and eyed Logan carefully, a strange look in his eyes. “You…you don’t know what that is…do you.”

_“And she’s always gone too long_

_Anytime she goes away”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song "Ain't no Sunshine" by Bill Withers

**Author's Note:**

> Song is "Glitter and Gold" by Barns Courtney


End file.
